NVL review (22nd an 23rd November) - Familiar names continue Division 1 promotion pushes

Women’s NVL 

University of Nottingham remain top of Division 1 North after making it four wins from four on their short trip to Loughborough Students. 

The students have found the step up following promotion tough and rarely threatened to cause an upset against the promotion-hunting Green and Golds (25-17, 25-16, 25-13). 

Another side who made the step up, however, Northampton, are on a roll as they notched their fourth consecutive victory. 

They moved level on points with UON, albeit having played three more games, with a straight sets triumph at winless Stockport where the third set lasted a mammoth 68 points (25-19, 27-25, 35-33). 

Another side to have made a strong start in a higher division are Manchester Marvels Mayhem, who clinched a 3-0 win over Cambridge (25-20, 25-22, 25-23). 

In Division 1 South, London Giants moved five points clear at the top as the overcame Bedminster on the road in relatively comfortable fashion (25-12, 25-20, 25-11). 

Essex Trinity are up to second but have played four more games than previous incumbents in that position, Richmond. 

That is after they went the distance to see off Bristol, holding off a visitors’ fightback to come out on top 25-16, 25-15, 26-28, 20-25, 15-10. 

Wessex got their season up and running with a first win as they edged some tight sets to see off Team South Wales 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 25-23.

Manchester Moss Side Jaguars continue to rack up the three points in Division 2 North and are now a full nine points clear at the summit after their latest success, 3-1 over The Miners, Doncaster (25-23, 21-25, 25-16, 25-16). 

Lincoln Cannons occupy third place, helped by their hard-fought, five-set victory over Everton Narwhals at the weekend (22-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11) where they twice came back from a set down. 

Cambridge 2 made it five wins from seven and lead the way in Division 2 East by seeing off the challenge of Richmond 2 in straight sets (25-23, 25-23, 25-21). 

The defeated Londoners bounced back on Sunday to win prevail in their home match with Dartford Chargers, reverse sweeping their opponents (16-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-22,15-6). 

The Kent club had encountered more success on Saturday as they got the better of struggling Worthing in four sets. 

There was also a victory for Herts, who moved to a 2-2 record with a four sets triumph over Norwich Spikers (25-15, 25-15, 24-26, 26-24).

Reading Aces have moved to within striking distance of the top after maintaining their unbeaten start with double success in the West Midlands. 

On Saturday, they dropped the first set at Black Country but then roared back to reel off the next three (21-25, 28-26, 25-16, 25-21), edging a close second set proving to be crucial. 

On Sunday, they moved on to Coventry and Warwick Riga, where they were victorious again (25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 25-18). 

Southampton were handed a walkover win against Tamworth Spartans, while Cardiff Falcons registered their first win of the season, at home to Wombourne, but were pushed hard despite cruising to the first two sets (25-20, 25-16, 20-25, 25-27, 15-10).  

Bristol 2 took advantage of a slip-up by previously unbeaten Farnborough Phoenix to leapfrog their rivals and go top of Division 3 South West. 

As they were disposing of Plymouth and Weymouth 3-0, Phoenix were edged out in five by Southampton 2, although they did account for Plymouth Mayflower in straight sets.  

Weymouth got the better of Plymouth in the third fixture at Dean Coombe School, while Southampton also beat the Devonians in four to move with a point of Farnborough.

Elsewhere, Portsmouth kept themselves in touch with those at the top as they got the better of Bedminster 2 3-1 and City of Bristol 3-0. 

The Bristol derby in the third match was a much closer affair and went the full five sets before Bemi pulled away in the decider to take it 15-7 and complete and complete a reverse sweep. 

London Ravens have been the dominant force in Division 3 South East so far and they clocked up two more victories without dropping a set in seeing off Spelthorne Sharks and Sussex Dolphins 2, with the former beating the latter in three in the third match. 

It was also a good weekend for Ashcombe Dorking, who are now clear in second after taking their record to 5-1 for the season with successes over Tendring (3-0) and Dartford Warriors (3-1), as Tendring prevailed in their triangular’s third match. 

Essex Ravens are one of three teams now on 12 points as they were the big winner in their triangular with Richmond 3 and Invicta both by 3-1 scorelines. The Londoners beat the Kent side 3-1 in the other game. 

In Division 3 Central, Leicester Athena Nova are four points clear at the top having played a game more than nearest challengers Cambridge Rhinos. 

They accounted for Ashfield Vipers and Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 in straight sets before the Nottinghamshire club beat the West Midlanders for their second success of the season. 

Rhinos Cambridge are second and Darkstar Derbyshire 2 remain unbeaten after their third 3-2 success of the season as both clubs beat Loughborough Students 2 in five. The match between those two sides was stopped part way through with time having run out to complete the match.

Manchester Marvels Mystics made it six wins out of six at the top of Division 3 North when they overcame Newcastle Staffs 2 and Leeds Gorse 3 (both 3-1), with the former of the two defeated sides picking winning the third encounter by the same margin. 

York Falcons are also going well and are second with a 5-1 season record after defeating Chester Amazons and Urmston Grammar in straight sets. The Amazons won a competitive other match 3-1. 

Isle Of Man Falcons enjoyed a successful trip across the Irish Sea as they beat both Everton Seadragons (3-0) and Hull Thunder (3-1) on Merseyside, while the Humber club triumphed 3-2 in the third triangular contest. 

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Men’s NVL 

IBB Polonia have stretched their leadership of DIvision 1 South to four points after successive weekend victories. 

First, on Saturday, they recovered from dropping the first set to get the better of an Exeter Storm side anchored at the bottom of the table (21-25, 25-13, 25-19, 25-22). 

It looked at one point of Sunday as if their unbeaten record might go as they trailed by two sets against Wessex at Parkstone Grammar School. 

However, the Londoners managed to claw their way back to 2-2 and then took the tightest of tie break sets to run out (19-25, 20-25, 25-15, 25-17, 15-13) victors. 

Essex Blaze remain in second after proving too strong for Bristol (25-17, 25-16, 25-14), who suffered as miserable trip east in also losing in straight sets to Cambridge (25-23, 25-14, 25-20), who are on the same points as Blaze in third. 

London Aces continue to lose ground after a bright start to the season, but they did, at least, take a point from their defeat to Southampton in the fifth set, which could hardly have been closer (23-25, 25-20, 19-25, 30-28, 15-13). 

An upset result looked on the cards for a time in Division 2 North as leaders Darkstar Derbyshire trailed at Leeds Gorse 2. 

But the visitors showed they are made of stern stuff this season and turns things around to triumph 25-23, 17-25, 17-25, 25-14, 15-13 and stay unbeaten. 

Everton Dugongs are up to second spot with a victory on the road (25-16, 25-23, 25-21) at Lincoln Cannons. 

That was after Sheffield Springers dropped a point in being taken to five before coming out on top at Hull Thunder (25-21, 21-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-10), and they now sit third.

Nottingham Rockets notched a much-needed first win of the season as they comfortably beat Newcastle Staffs 2 25-11, 25-16, 25-15. 

Loughborough Students march on in Division 2 Central, maintaining a 100% record with a 3-1 success over Northampton, bouncing back well from losing the first set (20-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-23). 

Second-placed Newmarket lost their own unbeaten record and were leapfrogged by MK City, who were 3-1 victors at Glebe Farm School, despite dropping the first set (13-25, 25, 25-18, 25-21, 26-24). 

At the other end of the table, Cambridge 2 lifted themselves off the bottom at opponents Norwich Spikers’ expense as they triumphed 20-25, 25-9, 25-19, 25-19. 

Richmond Bucks are sitting pretty at the Division 2 South summit after reeling off their fifth straight success in beating fellow capital side London Baks in confident fashion (25-22, 25-20, 25-10). 

It was a tough week for those behind them, with second-placed Dartford Crossers losing in five to Wiltshire Mavericks, who had the day before been beaten 3-0 by Kent Invicta (25-17, 25-20, 25-21). 

But Invicta, in third, could not capitalise as they, too, lost on Sunday, going down 3-1 at home to Reading Aces (25-18, 17-25, 25-21, 25-21), who are now up to fourth with a game in hand on each of the two teams above them.  

Spelthorne Lions grabbed a first victory of the season to make their long trip to South Wales worthwhile, taking the points from a 25-21, 25-16, 18-25, 25-15 success over Cardiff Panthers. 

London Lionhearts won the top of the table clash with Newmarket 2 to inflict the Suffolk club’s first Division 3 South East defeat – but only just. 

A thrilling encounter which see-sawed one way then the other went down to a decider, where the visitors held their nerve to come through 23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 19-25, 15-10. 

After both took maximum points from their meeting with GNG Bedford, Newmarket can at least take solace that they still head up the table courtesy of their superior set quotient. 

It was one of those rare triangulars when Onyx London, London Wildcats and Essex Estonians met, all winning one game each. 

Onyx defeated London in straight sets, only to lose to London Wildcats in the fifth, who were beaten in another match that went the distance against Essex. 

It was a good weekend for Rhinos Cambridge 2 who won their first match of the campaign then repeated the trick immediately after – with Worthing (3-1) and Tendring (3-2) the teams overcome. Worthing took the third match in straight sets. 

The one triangular in Division 3 South West saw Weymouth cut Bristol 2’s lead at the top to two points and have two games in hand after they prevailed against Guildford International (3-1) and Bedminster (3-0), with the former taking down the latter in five sets in the other triangular fixture.  

Birmingham City retain leadership of Division 3 Central, but second-placed Telford are now well placed to go above them in time after defeating the Second City club in a five-set thriller. 

The hosts survived a strong fightback after leading 2-0 to eke out a final set success (25-19, 25-19, 12-25, 22-25, 15-13) and are now five games unbeaten, three points behind their rivals but with two games in hand. 

That was after both teams also defeated Wombourne at the Telford College of Arts and Technology.    

Black Country 2 are a point further back but well placed after they beat Nuneaton Inferno 3-0 and Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 3-1, while Riga won a five-setter in the third triangular fixture. 

Chelmsford had mixed results in their triangular with Tamworth Spartans 2 and Darkstar Derbyshire 2, beating the former in three, but losing to the latter in five. 

Manchester Liberators went second in Division 3 North on set quotient after getting the better of their city rivals, Manchester Moss Side Jaguars, and Hull Thunder 2 without dropping a set. 

Moss Side bounced back by edging out the Humberside hosts in a fifth-set decider. 

Action images by @pichi.tography.

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Full NVL results can be found here.

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